Boxed bamboo shade and method of packaging bamboo shades

ABSTRACT

A shade of the type having a headrail, a panel of bamboo or faux bamboo slats attached to a headrail, at least one cord lock or spring motor and cord spool attached to the bottom surface of the headrail and lift cords connected to the panel and passing over a portion of the cord lock or the cord spool is packaged for trimming in a cut-down machine. The panel is folded into a plurality of folds such that the folds abut the top surface of the headrail. This shade is placed in an inner box having cut-outs through which the cord locks or spring motor and cord spool extend. Alternatively, a band is wrapped around the folded shade to form a banded shade. The band is sized and positioned so that a portion of the panel adjacent each side edge is exposed. The shade and the inner box, or the banded shade, is placed in an outer box. The shade is removed from the outer box and can then be trimmed in a cut-down machine without any further unpackaging.

FIELD OF INVENTION

The invention relates a package for bamboo shades and faux bamboo shades to facilitate trimming of the shade to a custom width.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Conventional bamboo shades are made from a panel of slats that have been cut from bamboo plants treated and woven together. In some panels cylindrical rods or sticks are placed between each pair of slats. This panel is attached to a headrail and a lift mechanism forming a roll-up or roman shade. In some shades there is also a bottom rail attached to the panel.

Faux bamboo shades have been developed which are comprised of plastic slats, and optionally plastic rods, woven together in the same manner as the slats in real bamboo shades. This panel is attached to a headrail lift mechanism in the same way as a real bamboo shade.

Manufacturers of bamboo shades and faux bamboo shades have sold these products in rolls, rolling the panel much like a roller shade and then placing that rolled shade in a plastic bag or similar package. Bamboo shades and faux bamboo shades have also been packaged in boxes having a width 3 to 4 times greater than the depth. The shades are placed in the box by folding them back and forth as they are laid into the box.

Prior to the present invention, bamboo shades and faux bamboo shades, have been stocked and sold by retailers in standard sizes. A customer whose windows are not a standard size could obtain a bamboo shade or faux bamboo shade for those windows only by placing a special order for the shade. Then the retailer would provide the dimensions of the customer's windows to the factory to have a bamboo shade or faux bamboo shade custom made for the customer.

Many home centers carry standard sizes of Venetian blinds which can be trimmed to have smaller widths using cut-down machines located in the store. Special packages have been developed for venetian blinds that are trimmed in cut-down machines. One example of such a package is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,793,073 to Tu. This package is a rectangular box having two open opposite ends. A venetian blind placed in this box extends outwardly from either open end; then removable caps are fitted onto the open ends of the box covering the ends of the venetian blind. This box would not be useful for bamboo shades because they could not be easily inserted into the box. One could fold the bamboo shade in a manner which has been done for packaging in rectangular boxes and then slide the shade into the open ended box, but the box would not sufficiently restrain the shade to enable it to be cut in a cut-down machine. Tu also discloses a cut-down machine which can be used to trim the venetian blind contained in his package. This guillotine cutter has one blade for cutting the slats and another blade for cutting the headrail and bottom rail. The blades move along an axis parallel to the lift cords. This type of cutting machine, which has separate openings for the headrail, slats and bottom rail, could not be used for a bamboo shade, unless the shade can be placed in a single opening. The only opening in Tu's cut-down machine which is large enough to potentially receive a bamboo shade is the opening for the slats. But that opening, as well as the openings in cut-down machines currently in use, is not sized or configured to handle a rolled up shade or blind. One may be able to place a bamboo shade or faux bamboo shade which has been packaged in a box in the slat opening of Tu's cut-down machine for trimming. But, if one attempts to cut a bamboo shade on this machine the edges of the shade would likely split, crack or chip during cutting because of the manner in which the shades have been packaged. The same problem will also be encountered if one attempts to use other cut-down machines that have been used for venetian blinds. As a result there is no cut-down program currently available for bamboo shades or faux bamboo shades.

There is a need for a package for bamboo shades and faux bamboo shades which would enable the shades to be cut-down in a retail store or home center to a custom width desired by a customer.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A shade of the type having a headrail, a panel of bamboo or faux bamboo slats attached to a headrail, and lift cords attached to the panel and either passing through at least one cord lock or wound on a spool or axle attached to the headrail is packaged for trimming in a cut-down machine. The panel is folded into a plurality of folds to create a stack that abuts the top surface of the headrail. Any valance is laid over the folds. This shade can be banded and shrink wrapped or placed in an inner box such that the cord locks, spring motor or other hardware extend through cut-outs in the inner box. The shade is then placed on an outer box for shipping.

The shade may be corded as a roll-up shade or a roman shade. The panel of slats may also include sticks, jute, grasses, paper or other decorative material positioned between adjacent slats.

The shade is removed from the shipping box and placed in a cut-down machine so that the blade can trim the edge of the shade without further unpacking. If packaged in an inner box it is not necessary to remove the shade from the inner box. The ends of that box can be trimmed with the ends of the shade. Because the slats are held tightly together in the package the slats can be cut cleanly.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 1 is a front view of a typical bamboo shade or a faux bamboo shade.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of one end of another typical bamboo shade or faux bamboo shade.

FIG. 3 is a plan view showing a bamboo shade folded in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 4 is an end view of the folded shade shown in FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is top plan view of the folded shade shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 packaged in accordance with a first preferred method of packaging.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the top of a bamboo shade packaged in accordance with a second preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a present preferred cutting machine in which the bamboo shade packaged in accordance with the present invention is shown in chain line positioned for trimming.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a portion of the cutting machine positioned to cut-down the bamboo shade packaged in accordance with the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2 a typical bamboo shade or faux bamboo shade 1 is comprised of a panel 2 of the slats 4 and sticks 5 woven together with cords 6. Sticks 5 are not used in some bamboo shades. The slats 4 are cut from bamboo stalks in a real bamboo shade. In a faux bamboo shade the slats are plastic. The sticks could be wood or other plant material or plastic. One could also substitute jute, grasses, paper or other decorative material for some of the slats or use one of those materials between slats. The panel 2 is connected to a headrail 8 containing a lift mechanism which includes lift cords 9. The lift mechanism may be cord locks or other cord guides or a spring motor and cord spools of the type used in a cordless shade. When cord locks are used the lift cords pass over a portion of the cord lock, namely a surface against which the cords are pressed by a roller, dog leg or other structure to lock them in place. When a spring motor is used the lift cords pass over and are wound around one or more cord spools. In many bamboo shades the headrail 8 consists of a board such as a 1×2 or 2×4 with the panel 2 being attached to the rear side of the headrail and a valance 3 attached to the front side of the headrail 8 as shown in FIG. 2. The lift mechanism may cause the panel 2 to be rolled up and down forming a roll-up shade. Alternatively, the lift mechanism may be connected in a manner to create a roman shade. In a roman shade the panel 2 is folded into several folds 2 a shown in FIG. 2 as the shade is raised. The number of folds will depend upon the length of the shade. Usually there are from 4 to 9 folds. The shade may or may not have a bottomrail (not shown) attached to the bottom of the panel 2.

A first present preferred method of packaging bamboo shades and faux bamboo shades is shown in FIGS. 3, 4 and 5. The panel 2 of bamboo shade material is folded into a series of folds such that the folds are positioned to abut the top surface of the headrail 8 as shown in FIG. 4. The valance 3 is also folded back to extend over the folded panel 2. Consequently, the cord locks, pulleys and other cord guides 16, or spring motors and cord spools in a cordless shade, on the bottom surface of the headrail 8 are exposed. The bamboo shade or faux bamboo shade is then placed in an inner box 40 as shown in FIG. 5. If desired, one could make the inner box to be a band 14 extending around the folded panel, valance and headrail as shown in FIG. 6, thereby forming a banded shade. A central band 14 is provided around the shade. The band 14 is sized so that the ends of the shade are exposed and may extend outward from the band. In a preferred embodiment 4 inches (10 cm.) of shade is exposed on each end of the shade. If this done, the banded shade may be shrink wrapped. The inner box 40 or banded shade is placed in an outer box 42. Spacer material 18 is placed on either side of the cord locks 16. The blind is shipped in this outer box. If desired, the outer box 42 could be made longer than the width of the shade to provide a space in which hardware, such as mounting brackets and screws, could be placed and shipped with the shade. Alternatively, one could put the hardware in place of some of the spacer material 18. In order to cut down the blind, one removes the shade in the inner box or banded from the outer box and then places the blind, still banded and shrink wrapped, or within the inner box 40, on a cut-down machine. The ends are trimmed by the cut-down machine.

A present preferred cut-down machine 30 shown in FIG. 7 has a table or platen 32 on which the packaged bamboo shade 31 is placed. A circular saw whose blade 34 can be seen in FIG. 8 is positioned at one end of the table 32. The shade is placed on the platen 32 and positioned so that one end of the shade extends past the blade. I prefer that the shrink wrap and band remain on the packaged shade during cutting. If the shade has been placed in an inner box it need not be removed from that inner box. The portion of the shade 1 which extends past the blade corresponds to the difference between the standard width of the blind and the custom width to which the blind is to be trimmed. After being so positioned, the bamboo shade is trimmed with the circular saw. If one uses the inner box, then a portion of that box will be cut at the same time the bamboo shade is being cut. The tight packing of the shade enables the shade to be cut cleanly. One could decide to cut all of the excess length from one end of the shade or trim half the excess length from each end of the blind, as is conventionally done with venetian blinds. Cut-down machines of the type disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,412,381 and 6,615,698 can be used to trim bamboo shades and faux bamboo shades packaged in accordance with the present invention. If one cuts a real bamboo shade using these machines, the cut edges probably will be rough. Therefore, I prefer to sand or buff the cut ends. One could also unpack and mount the shade in a fully lowered position and cut off any slivers or burrs with scissors or electric scissors. A faux bamboo shade can be cut cleanly such that no sanding, buffing or trimming is required. A guillotine type cutter could be used on faux bamboo shades but it is not recommended for real bamboo shades because cracking or chipping will occur.

Although I have shown and described certain present preferred embodiments of my packaged bamboo shade and package for bamboo shades it should be distinctly understood that the invention is not limited thereto, but may be variously embodied within the scope of the following claims. 

1. A packaged shade comprising: a bamboo shade or faux bamboo shade having a headrail, a panel comprised of bamboo or faux bamboo slats, the panel having two side edges and attached to the headrail, the headrail having a top surface and a bottom surface, at least one cord lock or spring motor and cord spool connected to a bottom surface of the headrail, and lift cords attached to the panel and passing over a portion of the at least one cord lock or the cord spool, the panel being folded into a plurality of folds, the folds positioned adjacent the top surface of the headrail, an inner box having a cut-out for the at least one cord lock or spring motor and cord spool, the bamboo shade or faux bamboo shade placed within the inner box in a manner so that the at least one cord lock or spring motor and cord spool extends through the cut out, and an outer box into which the inner box is placed.
 2. The packaged shade of claim 1 also comprising spacer material positioned adjacent the at least one cord lock or spring motor and cord spool.
 3. The packaged shade of claim 1 also comprising shade hardware positioned within the cavity.
 4. The packaged shade of claim 1 also comprising a valance attached to the headrail.
 5. The packaged shade of claim 1 wherein the shade is a roman shade or a roll-up shade.
 6. A packaged shade comprising: a bamboo shade or faux bamboo shade having a headrail, a panel comprised of bamboo or faux bamboo slats, the panel having two side edges and attached to the headrail, the headrail having a top surface and a bottom surface, at least one cord lock or spring motor and cord spool connected to a bottom surface of the headrail, and lift cords attached to the panel and passing over a portion of the at least one cord lock or the cord spool, the panel being folded into a plurality of folds, the folds positioned adjacent the top surface of the headrail, a band extending around the headrail and folded panel; and an outer box into which the inner box is placed.
 7. The packaged shade of claim 6 also comprising spacer material positioned adjacent the at least one cord lock or spring motor and cord spool.
 8. The packaged shade of claim 6 also comprising shade hardware positioned within the cavity.
 9. The packaged shade of claim 6 also comprising a valance attached to the headrail.
 10. The packaged shade of claim 6 wherein the shade is a roman shade or a roll-up shade.
 11. A method for packaging a bamboo shade or faux bamboo shade of the type having a headrail, having a top surface and a bottom surface, a panel comprised of bamboo or faux bamboo slats and attached to the headrail, at least one cord lock or spring motor and cord spool attached to the bottom surface of the headrail, and lift cords connected to the panel and passing over a portion of the at least one cord lock or the cord spool comprising: folding the panel into a plurality of folds such that the plurality of folds abut the top surface of the headrail; placing one of a band or an inner box around the shade to form a packed shade, and placing the packed shade into an outer box.
 12. The method of claim 11 also comprising placing a spacer material into the outer box.
 13. The method of claim 11 also comprising placing shade hardware into the outer box.
 14. The method of claim 13 wherein there is a valance attached to the shade and also comprising positioning the valance to cover the folded panel. 